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Hoggin' the FTFs?


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If you have no prior knowledge of cache locations or pre-release coordinates, then it's all fair IMO. You have as good a shot as anyone, and if you happen to get the notification 2 minutes after it's published, and are out the door 5 minutes after that, then all the power to ya.

 

I Nabbed 2 FTFs in 1 day because I was up in the late hours when it went live, and decided to head out so I arrived at the first cache at first light, then raced to the second, beating a fellow geocacher by 5 minutes. That's how it goes, it can go the other way too.

 

Good luck.

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... If a cacher in your area had realeased several new caches and you were able to nab the FTFs almost every time, would you?

 

Or would you get a couple and give someone else a chance for an FTF?...

 

Yes on both, depending on the angle of the sun, the day of the week, the fullness of time, and the location of the groundhog relative to his shadow. The exception is when all that is reversed. Then it's yes but in the other order.

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Sometimes I wish that the people in our area would let some of the newcomers have a chance but I guess that is too much to ask. I have my one and only FTF and I am happy to say that I don't need to get any more. If I do, that's great but I just will not go nuts anymore because I have accomplished that one goal. It's a good feeling to have an FTF and I hope that all cachers get a chance to get one - maybe that's what those who are "in the race" should think about when they have to be FIRST all of the time. Besides some of us have daytime jobs that we have as priority!

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Knock yourself out. As long as the playing field is fair go for it. The people that will whine will be the ones that don't do this don't do that or can't get off the couch. I believe I've heard people say the same thing in our area about "hoggin FTF's". Maybe the complainers should get out and "hog" I mean get some FTF's?

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Sometimes I wish that the people in our area would let some of the newcomers have a chance

 

I've highlighted the part of your post that I have a problem with. Letting someone do something takes away from the entire purpose of getting it. How would you have felt about your FTF if when you arrived at the cache, three other people were there and they said, "We haven't opened the box yet, because we wanted you to be the first one to open it"..

 

Kind of takes away the fun doesn't it?

Edited by ReadyOrNot
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Sometimes I wish that the people in our area would let some of the newcomers have a chance but I guess that is too much to ask.

 

I don't buy that argument at all. I have 46 finds (I'm still new, Found my first on January 14'th this year) and I have 5 FTF's! How did I get them? By heading out as soon as I saw them published. ANYONE can go get one, if they want it, it's all about the effort. If you see one published late at night, try to be there at first light, if you don't feel comfortable doing it at night. I got 3 of them that way. Sure I won't get there first all the time, but I have as good a shot as anyone else. And I'm still considered a newbie. Should people sit there and let me get them? Of course not. If I want it, I need to make the effort myself.

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Sometimes I wish that the people in our area would let some of the newcomers have a chance but I guess that is too much to ask.

 

Just wait till the FTF restricted caches get posted. You can only have this many or less FTF's to log FTF on this cache. Or you can't have this letter in your geo-nic to log FTF on this cache. Now that is the funny stuff.

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Sometimes I wish that the people in our area would let some of the newcomers have a chance but I guess that is too much to ask. I have my one and only FTF and I am happy to say that I don't need to get any more. If I do, that's great but I just will not go nuts anymore because I have accomplished that one goal. It's a good feeling to have an FTF and I hope that all cachers get a chance to get one - maybe that's what those who are "in the race" should think about when they have to be FIRST all of the time. Besides some of us have daytime jobs that we have as priority!

 

I have quite a few FTF's a buddy of mine has even more the two of us have been FTF on the majority of caches in the area. Lately we have been waiting to go for the caches and still get FTF. I felt guilty at one point but then thought why? everyone has an equal chance to get it if you are the first to see the listing then go for it if a FTF is that important to you watch your email and go as soon as the listing comes out. If you are not willing to make the effort to be FTF then don't whine when someone else does. I wish there were more ftf hounds here it would make getting them more of a challenge.

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It's not true that everyone has an equal chance at an FTF. Obviously, the closer you live to the new cache, the more advantage a cacher has at an FTF - all other things being equal. But, that's just it, other things are not equal. Technology can give cachers an advantage. There are PDAs and cell phones with internet connectivity. Of course, one can argue that we all can get them if we wanted to. Other cachers have advantages by the nature of their work. Others by knowing the hiders.

 

Bottom line, it's a dog eat dog world. If you don't go after the FTF, someone else will and they will not care that you didn't get it. That being said, I would rather co-share a FTF with someone, then go at it alone. I will call fellow cachers to join me on certain hunts because I would rather have company than not. Others do not feel this way.

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It's not true that everyone has an equal chance at an FTF. Obviously, the closer you live to the new cache, the more advantage a cacher has at an FTF - all other things being equal. But, that's just it, other things are not equal. Technology can give cachers an advantage. There are PDAs and cell phones with internet connectivity. Of course, one can argue that we all can get them if we wanted to. Other cachers have advantages by the nature of their work. Others by knowing the hiders.

 

Everyone does have an equal chance I'm a night shift worker a lot of caches come up after 6pm when I amt work and before 10am when i am sleeping. If you want the FTF that badly you will get the premium membership with GC.com, the pda I have both I don't have the internet connectivity as FTF's are nice but the the be all end all.

 

Bottom line, it's a dog eat dog world. If you don't go after the FTF, someone else will and they will not care that you didn't get it. That being said, I would rather co-share a FTF with someone, then go at it alone. I will call fellow cachers to join me on certain hunts because I would rather have company than not. Others do not feel this way.

 

FTF's are great but without a few people chasing after it it's not as fun I love it when I know I have competition for the FTF.

If I find it first and someone else is looking as well I share FTF I have enough of them. a lot of the time I'll see it first walk away and say I found it and let the people I'm with log the FTF. for me it's about the freinds you meet on the trail. and the adventure to find the cache FTF is nice. that being said if I esee a new cache and I have the time to go for it I will.

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why are the FTFs so important? What are you sacrficing? That should be your guidepost

 

Personally I find purposely going for a FTF kind of stressful. That's just me. I have about 5-6 of them and that's good enough. One area around here, sometimes when a new cache is placed you can expect 6-12 people to show up. A lot of them look at it like a mini event, they look forward to sharing the experience. Just another part of having fun with the community.

Edited by BlueDeuce
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All of my FTFs have been accidental, never really tried because its just another cache to me. A new cacher has come along in our area this year who gets all of the FTFs now because they have a Blackberry (I think or a Treo) and get notified before any of the rest of us who don't so its not a competition either (yes its a small area with about 7 caching teams total). Not sure what the point is for rushing to get them under those circumstances but he enjoys it. That's just the way it goes.

 

JD

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Sometimes I wish that the people in our area would let some of the newcomers have a chance but I guess that is too much to ask.

 

I don't buy that argument at all. I have 46 finds (I'm still new, Found my first on January 14'th this year) and I have 5 FTF's! How did I get them? By heading out as soon as I saw them published. ANYONE can go get one, if they want it, it's all about the effort. If you see one published late at night, try to be there at first light, if you don't feel comfortable doing it at night. I got 3 of them that way. Sure I won't get there first all the time, but I have as good a shot as anyone else. And I'm still considered a newbie. Should people sit there and let me get them? Of course not. If I want it, I need to make the effort myself.

 

I have 300 finds and also have 5 FTFs. Of course, I also have a full time job that keeps me very busy, a four year old son which I have to drop off and pick up from day care five days a week, and live in an area with a fairly low cache density. There are also a couple of very active cachers nearby that work night shift and most new caches seem to get posted about the time they get off work. I would imagine that "Real life" gets in the way of most of the opportunities for most cachers. For example,

 

There was a cache posted this morning about 10 miles from where I live. It was a bit out of the way from where I drop my son off for day care and my route to work but I solved the puzzle for it and planned on hitting it after work. I got to the parking location and saw that the cache was about 250' away. Before I could get out of the car I got a call from my sons day care. He had a temperature of 102 so rather than going for the cache and potentially getting a FTF I went to my sons school to pick him up.

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I went after a FTF at about midnight. The area was about 1/4 mile in the woods. At about 200 feet to the cache, I noticed a flashlight right about where my pointer was pointing. You should have seen him jump when I said, "Whats you lookin' for?" HAHAHAH :laughing: I think we shared the FTF on the cache.. If you've never met another cacher on the hunt, try going for a FTF.. Some of my most enjoyable experiences have been while trying to get FTF.

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I was just wondering how everyone else would handle a situation.

 

If a cacher in your area had realeased several new caches and you were able to nab the FTFs almost every time, would you?

 

Or would you get a couple and give someone else a chance for an FTF?

 

I, by no means, want to come across as "hoggish".

 

What does everyone else think???

Well, I guess I was asking because people have said that we have an unfair advantage because we may not be working some days when caches are posted. I do also have difficulty not going for the FTF if I am not working. Hey, it's some kinda fever that I get.

 

Seriously, thank you to all who have responded. Thank you very much!!!

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Yup, I'm a FTF hog. I have the email notifications and an iPhone. No matter where I'm at I get the notification and off I go. Our reviewer changes things up a bit. I've seen some published as late as 9 pm and as early as 6:30 am. I only work 3 days a week so chances are if one is published on my days off I'll get the FTF. No cheating involved...if some folks get tired of me logging the FTF's then they need to be faster. :laughing: PS-there is a bit of competition here between 3 of us....we've all had our share of wins...

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I was just wondering how everyone else would handle a situation.

 

If a cacher in your area had realeased several new caches and you were able to nab the FTFs almost every time, would you?

 

Or would you get a couple and give someone else a chance for an FTF?

 

I, by no means, want to come across as "hoggish".

 

What does everyone else think???

Well, I guess I was asking because people have said that we have an unfair advantage because we may not be working some days when caches are posted. I do also have difficulty not going for the FTF if I am not working. Hey, it's some kinda fever that I get.

 

Seriously, thank you to all who have responded. Thank you very much!!!

 

My local reviewer won't wait to publish caches until after I get off work. No seriously, I asked and he wouldn't.

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I was the FTF hog in my area for a long time, but after 2 or 3 years of leaving my nice comfortable house at all hours of the day and night and in all kinds of weather, it got to be just to much.

Once I left my house at midnight to drive 90 miles for a FTF, and I got a DNF :laughing:

 

Now we have a new FTF hound in my area, he has gotten all but a few in the past year. But I heard a rumour that he may have to retire and the request of his higher authority :D "the wife" :laughing:

Edited by JohnnyVegas
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I was just wondering how everyone else would handle a situation.

 

If a cacher in your area had realeased several new caches and you were able to nab the FTFs almost every time, would you?

 

Or would you get a couple and give someone else a chance for an FTF?

 

I, by no means, want to come across as "hoggish".

 

What does everyone else think???

Well, I guess I was asking because people have said that we have an unfair advantage because we may not be working some days when caches are posted. I do also have difficulty not going for the FTF if I am not working. Hey, it's some kinda fever that I get.

 

Seriously, thank you to all who have responded. Thank you very much!!!

 

My local reviewer won't wait to publish caches until after I get off work. No seriously, I asked and he wouldn't.

You, my friend, are hilarious!!!

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Unless you get a personal note from the cache owner politely asking you NOT to be the FTF, go ahead.

 

Ob boy.. That comment could be a thread of its own... I'll not go there today :laughing:

The only time I've seen this is when it's a "milestone" cache - Joe Cacher's 3000th cache, or somebody's 2000th, whatever. Once, I actually didn't get the "note" and went after it, only to pull in about the same time as the guest of honor. It was kind of cool - the hider actually worked on finding a spot that was at Wxx deg, y2.000/N0xx deg, Y2.000, for the 2000th find for the guy. The only swag in it (but only if it was your 2000th cache find) was a set of 2000 coins. He went all out for it.

 

We're pretty agressive here. I don't know why, but there's about half a dozen that go all out for FTFs (I'm one of them). This past Sunday, there was a cache published in the morning, during a blizzard. It was the longest I've ever seen a cache go without being found (that was findable) - 3 hours and 24 minutes. Visibility down to 1/10 mile, icy roads, 0 degrees before wind chill; it was just plain brutal!

 

As for unfair advantage, there's bound to be days where a cache is published and you're working - it all works out in the end!

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Sometimes I wish that the people in our area would let some of the newcomers have a chance but I guess that is too much to ask. I have my one and only FTF and I am happy to say that I don't need to get any more. If I do, that's great but I just will not go nuts anymore because I have accomplished that one goal. It's a good feeling to have an FTF and I hope that all cachers get a chance to get one - maybe that's what those who are "in the race" should think about when they have to be FIRST all of the time. Besides some of us have daytime jobs that we have as priority!

 

Would you feel so good in your accomplishment if you realized that people in your area let you get the FTF?

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Someone should add that if there is a series of new caches and each has a FTF award, it would be a nice gesture to take one of the awards, and leave some for others. But that's not even necessary. FTF is FTF.

 

Around here, there are probably five or six teams that go for FTFs. One of our local reviewers tries to "mix it up" and releases any time. If they are released during the day, I probably won't get a shot, but if it comes out at 10:30 at night, I'm all over it. :laughing:

I would have to say that there are enough FTFs to go around for anyone who wants a few.

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Yup, I'm a FTF hog. I have the email notifications and an iPhone. No matter where I'm at I get the notification and off I go. Our reviewer changes things up a bit. I've seen some published as late as 9 pm and as early as 6:30 am. I only work 3 days a week so chances are if one is published on my days off I'll get the FTF. No cheating involved...if some folks get tired of me logging the FTF's then they need to be faster. :laughing: PS-there is a bit of competition here between 3 of us....we've all had our share of wins...

 

LOL. :laughing: He's not kidding. One of the cachers LM mentioned actually drove roughly 100 miles (round trip) just to get a cache that had been placed near where I live. We don't really care about being FTF but reading their logs and following the "competition" is very entertaining.

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I got an FTF last night (24-hour-access area, don't worry) that had slid so far down into its crevice that I doubt many cachers would have been able to retrieve it; I can dislocate my shoulder in such a way that it adds an inch or two onto my already-disproportionately-long arm span, giving me JUST enough room, stretching and straining, to close two fingers around the top of the cache. Suffice it to say that FTF hounds often have to work to earn their bounty. :laughing:

Edited by MountainRacer
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There is a guy up here that has 55 FTF's.

 

I think there has to be some way to publish caches that are fair game to most...that way the people that work have an even chance against the people that stay at home all day waiting for the emal notifications.

 

There has to be someway to make it an even field for all people / all working shifts.

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There is a guy up here that has 55 FTF's.

 

I think there has to be some way to publish caches that are fair game to most...that way the people that work have an even chance against the people that stay at home all day waiting for the emal notifications.

 

There has to be someway to make it an even field for all people / all working shifts.

I disagree that there has to be, or even should be, any changes to the way caches are published to support or promote FTF 'fairness'. The FTF race is a game-within-a-game played with varying degrees of intensity by a subset of people who geocache. It's not an officially recognized aspect of the GC.com website, and there are no features that even directly support or address the concept. In other words, it's a player thing, not a web site thing. And that's the way it should be.

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Sometimes I wish that the people in our area would let some of the newcomers have a chance

 

I've highlighted the part of your post that I have a problem with. Letting someone do something takes away from the entire purpose of getting it. How would you have felt about your FTF if when you arrived at the cache, three other people were there and they said, "We haven't opened the box yet, because we wanted you to be the first one to open it"..

 

Kind of takes away the fun doesn't it?

 

Depends on what you see as "fun." Personally, though I don't have any FTFs yet (I'm new), I'm sure that I would feel awfully self-conscious (i.e. guilty) about hogging the FTFs in our area. I say spread, not hog, the fun. Your mileage may - and clearly does - vary.

 

- Mark

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Sometimes I wish that the people in our area would let some of the newcomers have a chance

 

I've highlighted the part of your post that I have a problem with. Letting someone do something takes away from the entire purpose of getting it. How would you have felt about your FTF if when you arrived at the cache, three other people were there and they said, "We haven't opened the box yet, because we wanted you to be the first one to open it"..

 

Kind of takes away the fun doesn't it?

 

Depends on what you see as "fun." Personally, though I don't have any FTFs yet (I'm new), I'm sure that I would feel awfully self-conscious (i.e. guilty) about hogging the FTFs in our area. I say spread, not hog, the fun. Your mileage may - and clearly does - vary.

 

- Mark

 

That seems a little selfish to me. Why should someone who has a lot of fun racing for FTFs be expected to stop and wait for other cachers who don't care enough to even race for them?

 

The 'fun' is the race itself.

Edited by Cedar Grove Seekers
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***The FTF race is a game-within-a-game played with varying degrees of intensity by a subset of people who geocache.***

 

Are you in this "Subset"? Someone that is able to sit home and wait for the New Cache email to come?

 

Will allowing a different way to post caches make more competition for people in this "Subset"?

 

***It's not an officially recognized aspect of the GC.com website, and there are no features that even directly support or address the concept. In other words, it's a player thing***

 

If it is a "Player Thing"...then why do you not want more interested players to play?

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Unless you get a personal note from the cache owner politely asking you NOT to be the FTF, go ahead.

 

Ob boy.. That comment could be a thread of its own... I'll not go there today :laughing:

The only time I've seen this is when it's a "milestone" cache - Joe Cacher's 3000th cache, or somebody's 2000th, whatever. Once, I actually didn't get the "note" and went after it, only to pull in about the same time as the guest of honor. It was kind of cool - the hider actually worked on finding a spot that was at Wxx deg, y2.000/N0xx deg, Y2.000, for the 2000th find for the guy. The only swag in it (but only if it was your 2000th cache find) was a set of 2000 coins. He went all out for it.

 

We're pretty agressive here. I don't know why, but there's about half a dozen that go all out for FTFs (I'm one of them). This past Sunday, there was a cache published in the morning, during a blizzard. It was the longest I've ever seen a cache go without being found (that was findable) - 3 hours and 24 minutes. Visibility down to 1/10 mile, icy roads, 0 degrees before wind chill; it was just plain brutal!

 

As for unfair advantage, there's bound to be days where a cache is published and you're working - it all works out in the end!

 

The reason it took so long is the no one could drive faster than 10mph out there. I was also out that same day but scored FTFs on some caches closer. One was a puzzle and another a mystery. In fact the second FTF came after driving all the way home from the first cache (5 miles) and then to the second (10 miles) in zero degree temps and 20-40 mph winds. I followed the snow plow to the second one. But PJP is right, they don;t last too long around our parts unclaimed.

Edited by gvsu4msu
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That seems a little selfish to me. Why should someone who has a lot of fun racing for FTFs be expected to stop and wait for other cachers who don't care enough to even race for them?

 

The 'fun' is the race itself.

 

WTF? Letting others in on the fun (and thus, by definition, sacrificing your own fun) is selfish?!? I don't get it.

 

To me (and, yes, it's a matter of opinion), the "fun" is in finding the cache at any time, not just the FTF. To you, the fun may be in racing others to the FTF, but to me, that's the selfish behavior.

 

- Mark

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